Snow-Plough / Gritter Drivers

Blue Meanie

Should cycle to work!

Where I live we've had barely enough Plough/Grit action as some of the gritters are getting stuck themselves.
Simlarly, the drivers (of the ploughs/gritters) are having difficulty getting to work, to clear the roads.

Despite all this, the cyclists at work all made it in yesterday and hopefully today as well. Whilst the motorists at my work were all late and full of stories of chaos and strife.

Lancslad

Well At least they are attempting to grit, not like round here.

Blue Meanie

Maybe they're snowed in?

Lancslad

Nah we havent had that much snow yet. Probably sold the grit of or something.

Gussio

There was loads of grit on the roads in London yesterday evening - made cornering pretty dicey at times.

fnegroni

Drivers complaining about traffic generated by other drivers is petty, isn't it?

I mean, it's like the commuters on the Waterloo & city line in London, complaining about it being overcrowded.

I did too, and from that day, I decided to walk it across the bridge.

If all drivers realised cycling in snow/ice, given the appropriate gear, is safer than trying to pootle around in a 2 ton vehicle risking everyone else's life...

suzyb

The office I'm working in is 30 miles away from home, despite checking out the possible alternatives I have no choice but to drive here. And I get held up for at least 20 minutes every morning due to school traffic (i.e. traffic that disappears when the schools are off).

But because I'm also driving a car I shouldn't be moaning about the amount of traffic ! :?

jeremyrundle

I live in Tavistock and today asked about the grit situation for the entrances to council areas such as parks, cemetery, cycle paths and footpaths to those areas where elderly visit and was told,

"Don't worry we are ordering grit this very week!"

D U H :?

Should be here by Feb.

fnegroni

suzyb wrote:

The office I'm working in is 30 miles away from home, despite checking out the possible alternatives I have no choice but to drive here. And I get held up for at least 20 minutes every morning due to school traffic (i.e. traffic that disappears when the schools are off)

Well, you just said that you have no alternatives. But have you considered that maybe also those on the school run have no alternatives?
Maybe they come from afar, take at least two kids to school, it is on their way to work...

cee

they have put the entire contents of bonneville on the main roads here....and the pluffs have been around much more than usual...

i believe the council took a beating after the rigmarole last year and seem to have been pretty fast on it so far.

until the grit runs out that it.

:twisted:

suzyb

fnegroni wrote:

suzyb wrote:

The office I'm working in is 30 miles away from home, despite checking out the possible alternatives I have no choice but to drive here. And I get held up for at least 20 minutes every morning due to school traffic (i.e. traffic that disappears when the schools are off)

Well, you just said that you have no alternatives. But have you considered that maybe also those on the school run have no alternatives?
Maybe they come from afar, take at least two kids to school, it is on their way to work...

Fair point.

But just because, even everyone has no alternative. Doesn't mean we can't complain about the traffic because traffic is caused by more than just volume of cars.

cee

aaaand the schools all seem to be shut....so roads have been very quiet

fnegroni

suzyb wrote:

fnegroni wrote:

suzyb wrote:

The office I'm working in is 30 miles away from home, despite checking out the possible alternatives I have no choice but to drive here. And I get held up for at least 20 minutes every morning due to school traffic (i.e. traffic that disappears when the schools are off)

Well, you just said that you have no alternatives. But have you considered that maybe also those on the school run have no alternatives?
Maybe they come from afar, take at least two kids to school, it is on their way to work...

Fair point.

But just because, even everyone has no alternative. Doesn't mean we can't complain about the traffic because traffic is caused by more than just volume of cars.

IMHO, it is.

The roads near the school where I take my son, on my bike, suffer from long delays due to the school run.

Yet, I can safely say that most kids walk or cycle there with their parents.

Only very few cars actually travel there to drop their kids off.

Infact, to make it even less attractive to drive kids to school, the school grounds are interdicted to cars, so drivers must park quite far and still walk a fair bit.

On a regular morning, I can witness the number of cars actually dropping kids off to school to be a very small number (we are not talking hundreds) compared to the number of vehicles simply driving through.

Yet the delays are similar to yours, between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the morning.

I think drivers underestimate how little it takes to bring a road system to a stand still.

I did a degree in computer science and one of my courses was simulation.

We would simulate everything from a furnace to a factory, from a telephone exchange to a road system.

It is alarming how a small mistake in timing of a traffic light can compromise the entire network over miles and miles.

Cars are becoming bigger and faster, but roads aren't.

saladdays

Back on topic - My opion is that all gritting lorries and buses should be fitted with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPd3O5_SJEs

Car drivers should consider buying snow chains. Then we wouldn't have traffic jams in the snow.

fnegroni

saladdays wrote:

Car drivers should consider buying snow chains. Then we wouldn't have traffic jams in the snow.

Not all tyre/wheel combinations are suitable for snow chains.

In particular, some systems (ABS, stability control etc...) display erroneous behaviour when dealing with them.

Fitting winter tyres on smaller rims is an option for most cars. But expensive in a country that sees very little snow/ice in a year.

IMHO, good quality summer tyres, if driven carefully, are a good option year round and in those situations where snow chains are needed, even winter/snow ('friction') tyres could fail.

I purchased a set of Auto Socks which are suitable to a much greater range of cars and don't require special set ups.

They are apparently more effective than winter tyres (bar studded ones) in those situations where traction is limited, such as on ice or very compacted snow.

Initialised

fnegroni wrote:

Drivers complaining about traffic generated by other drivers is petty, isn't it?

I mean, it's like the commuters on the Waterloo & city line in London, complaining about it being overcrowded.

I did too, and from that day, I decided to walk it across the bridge.

If all drivers realised cycling in snow/ice, given the appropriate gear, is safer than trying to pootle around in a 2 ton vehicle risking everyone else's life...

Probably safer than walking too.

thiscocks

fnegroni wrote:

Drivers complaining about traffic generated by other drivers is petty, isn't it?

I mean, it's like the commuters on the Waterloo & city line in London, complaining about it being overcrowded.

I did too, and from that day, I decided to walk it across the bridge.

If all drivers realised cycling in snow/ice, given the appropriate gear, is safer than trying to pootle around in a 2 ton vehicle risking everyone else's life...

I dont thing cycling is safer than driving on compacted snow and ice. Infact Id say a car with winter tyres on and being driven properly is alot safer and more controllable. Just dont complain when you fall down and go underneath a car minding its own business. I do a agree however most people have no fucking idea whatsoever about how to drive in slippery conditions. (the main reason I dont ride in the snow- for fear of getting run over by some idiot).

suzyb

fnegroni wrote:

IMHO, it is.

The roads near the school where I take my son, on my bike, suffer from long delays due to the school run.

Yet, I can safely say that most kids walk or cycle there with their parents.

Only very few cars actually travel there to drop their kids off.

Infact, to make it even less attractive to drive kids to school, the school grounds are interdicted to cars, so drivers must park quite far and still walk a fair bit.

On a regular morning, I can witness the number of cars actually dropping kids off to school to be a very small number (we are not talking hundreds) compared to the number of vehicles simply driving through.

Yet the delays are similar to yours, between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the morning.

I think drivers underestimate how little it takes to bring a road system to a stand still.

I did a degree in computer science and one of my courses was simulation.

We would simulate everything from a furnace to a factory, from a telephone exchange to a road system.

It is alarming how a small mistake in timing of a traffic light can compromise the entire network over miles and miles.

Cars are becoming bigger and faster, but roads aren't.

hmmm when you point it out like that I kinda see what you mean.

Although my run past a school doesn't have anywhere near the same amount of traffic when the school is on holiday (or snowed out ). So obviously there is some connection between volume of traffic + school.

I also find many issues caused by people simply not taking into account how busy it is and driving like they're in their own little world. Like you said it doesn't take much to bring the road system to a standstill and someone pulling over opposite another parked car reducing the road to one lane does exactly that.

Anyway I've just realised I've been confusing complaining about traffic with complaining about the people that don't help it flow any easier so I'm going to shut up now :oops:

fnegroni

thiscocks wrote:

I dont thing cycling is safer than driving on compacted snow and ice.

I have studded tyres. I beg to differ.

Infact Id say a car with winter tyres on and being driven properly is alot safer and more controllable.

For its passengers. Except when it loses control, which can happen to anyone, at which point, the damage it can make is quite sizable.

Just dont complain when you fall down and go underneath a car minding its own business.

No driver should drive like that: if you see a cyclist and don't keep a safe distance, you are at fault.
A cyclist can fall for different reasons, and so a driver can lose control for different reasons.
But a cyclist is mostly a danger to himself. A driver to others.

I do a agree however most people have no ******* idea whatsoever about how to drive in slippery conditions. (the main reason I dont ride in the snow- for fear of getting run over by some idiot).

As a cyclist in distress, you are allowed to use paths inaccessible to other vehicles. I use them when I can.

fnegroni

suzyb wrote:

Anyway I've just realised I've been confusing complaining about traffic with complaining about the people that don't help it flow any easier so I'm going to shut up now :oops:

I am sorry I made you think that, I didn't mean to. I think you do have a point there regarding traffic (as in people who cause traffic problems) and I think in general, as a society, we have become apathetic to some problems and we just accept them subconsciously.

suzyb

fnegroni wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Anyway I've just realised I've been confusing complaining about traffic with complaining about the people that don't help it flow any easier so I'm going to shut up now :oops:

I am sorry I made you think that, I didn't mean to. I think you do have a point there regarding traffic (as in people who cause traffic problems) and I think in general, as a society, we have become apathetic to some problems and we just accept them subconsciously.

It wasn't your post but my reading of your post. I think my brain is frozen

cjw

suzyb wrote:

hmmm when you point it out like that I kinda see what you mean.

Although my run past a school doesn't have anywhere near the same amount of traffic when the school is on holiday (or snowed out ). So obviously there is some connection between volume of traffic + school.
:

The connection is simple... Less people commute to work during school holidays as, often, one parent will be off work and many times both as that is when folks with kids have to take their leave.

lost_in_thought

I got gritted today. No snow on me. Stings a bit. :?

Jay dubbleU

lost_in_thought wrote:

I got gritted today. No snow on me. Stings a bit. :?

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